United States--Little Missouri River

Alvin Howard Sanders reintroduces himself to Theodore Roosevelt as a chairman of the U.S. Tariff Board in Washington, and asks as a publisher of The Breeder’s Gazette if Roosevelt would be willing to contribute as a writer in any way. Sanders believes that, given Roosevelt’s past experiences (such as his early days on the Little Missouri river), his writing on the topic of any farm or ranch subject would greatly interest their “western” audiences.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-30

Seth Bullock writes to President Roosevelt to discuss Kermit Roosevelt’s hunting and fishing expedition in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-08-31

Seth Bullock encloses a news clipping related to the meeting of the National Association of Railroad Commissioners held in Deadwood. Bullock is looking forward to a visit from Kermit Roosevelt, which will include more outings than Ted Roosevelt’s recent visit.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-08-18

Two versions of an article written for North Dakota History magazine. The first, by Olaf T. Hagen, focuses on the history of Theodore Roosevelt’s time in the Dakota Badlands. The latter, revised and expanded by Ray H. Mattison after Hagen’s death, describes the history of the region from Custer’s time through the 1890s. Mattison’s revision focuses more on the arrival of the railroad and its effects on the game in the region, which had been plentiful but declined rapidly as hunters and adventurers decimated the herds.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Creation Date

1949

Lowell E. Baier describes the importance of Theodore Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch to the formation of Roosevelt’s environmental awareness, and subsequently to the emergence of the nation’s conservation movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Baier provides a brief history of the conservation movement in the United States before Roosevelt’s emergence as its leader, and he argues that the conservation effort stemmed in part from the nation’s desire to preserve parts of its frontier past. Baier quotes Roosevelt biographer Edmund Morris in emphasizing the importance of the Elkhorn to Roosevelt’s environmental beliefs, and he highlights efforts to secure the protection of lands directly across the Little Missouri River from the Elkhorn ranch house.

A photograph of Roosevelt with two of his ranch hands and three historic photographs of the Elkhorn Ranch buildings populate the essay along with two contemporary color photographs of the site. The essay also features illustrations of Roosevelt’s cattle brands, sketches of the Elkhorn ranch buildings by Frederic Remington, and a large map showing the various units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and surrounding lands.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

James F. Vivian provides a look at Theodore Roosevelt’s time in the North Dakota Badlands with a collection of newspaper accounts, ranging from 1898 to 1915, drawn from interviews with Roosevelt’s friends, fellow ranchers, cowboys, and acquaintances. Vivian provides an introduction and an afterword to the article, as well as an introduction to each of its twelve sections. The accounts include reminiscences from the likes of William Sewall, Arthur T. Packard, and the brothers Sylvane Ferris and Joseph Ferris. Vivian contends that these interviews “corroborate the content and quality” of the work done by Hermann Hagedorn in his book Roosevelt in the Bad Lands.

Ten photographs appear in the article, including three of Roosevelt’s contemporaries, Frederick Herrig, James W. Foley, and Arthur T. Packard, along with two photographs of the museum dedicated to Roosevelt onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. An illustration by Frederic Remington of Roosevelt’s capture of the boat thieves, and a text box with a listing of the members of the executive committee of the Theodore Roosevelt Association supplement the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

View of the Elkhorn Ranch from across the Little Missouri originally photographed by Theodore Roosevelt. Includes a description of the various buildings.

Collection

Midwest Archeological Center

Creation Date

1886

An excerpt from the book Kaleidiscopic Lives by Joseph Henry Taylor describes the attempt of Michael J. Finnegan and his partner to steal Theodore Roosevelt’s boat so they could trap and shoot beaver. They were unaware it was Roosevelt’s boat and were subsequently caught. Finnegan did time in the penitentiary because of this crime. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-08

Aerial view of Elkhorn Ranch site along the Little Missouri River.

Collection

Midwest Archeological Center

Creation Date

1957

Aerial view of Elkhorn Ranch site along Little Missouri River.

Collection

Midwest Archeological Center

Creation Date

1957

Aerial view of Elkhorn Ranch site along Little Missouri River.

Collection

Midwest Archeological Center

Creation Date

1957

Regional Archeologist Beaubien wishes he could talk to Professor Taylor about several ideas he has regarding the proposed archaeological investigation of the Elkhorn Ranch site, including details about funding and the site location. He asks if Taylor wants to spend June with his Yellowstone group and then move to Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park to begin the excavation. Beaubien will call soon to see what Taylor thinks.

Collection

Midwest Archeological Center

Creation Date

1959-02-25

This map depicts the areas of the Elkhorn Ranch site that were excavated during the investigations of 1957 and 1959, including the ranch house, corral, chicken pen, utility shed, well, and stable, as well as blacksmith shop and dugout. A zoomed out view shows the unit’s position relative to the surrounding area. The map also presents a brief description of the two archeological excavations that took place.

Collection

Midwest Archeological Center

Creation Date

1963-07

This report details a number of proposals for developing the Elkhorn Ranch site as a part of Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park. Following a brief description of the site’s history and reasoning for the site’s preservation, plans for the development of the site are described, to make the area accessible and understandable to visitors. Maps and photographs are included along with the text.

Collection

Midwest Archeological Center

Creation Date

1956-11

The cultural resources survey, created sometime after 1977, includes information on site access, a description, environmental surroundings, archaeological excavations and types of artifacts found, and a list of published works on the Elkhorn Ranch site.

Collection

Midwest Archeological Center

Creation Date

Unknown

The U.S. Geological Survey states for the record that it has not conducted a survey of the mineral potential of the proposed wilderness area in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Available information indicates eight coal beds in the area and it could potentially be favorable for oil and gas, although no test wells have been drilled in the area. The north unit of the park is considered to be underlain by many deep salt beds.

Collection

Denver Public Library

Creation Date

1970-12-08

Theodore Roosevelt writes of the American Western frontier and his experiences there, along with some of the stories he heard about the lawless days of the area. The article includes drawings by Frederic Remington.

Collection

Denver Public Library

Creation Date

1893-06

Francis J. Wolcott of the Sierra Club makes recommendations regarding several possible wilderness areas within Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park. He notes that the North Dakota Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan suggests that adequate facilities now exist in the area of the Park, and that the Park should not be devoted to activities such as boating, water skiing, or hunting, because they are not the reason the Park has been designated.

Collection

Denver Public Library

Creation Date

1970-12-08

The document outlines the history of Medora, North Dakota, since its founding in 1883 by French nobleman Antoine Amédée Marie Vincent Manca de Vallombrosa Morès and his wife, Medora von Hoffman, after whom the town is named. The significance of the cattle industry in the town is highlighted and prominent men associated with Medora, such as Theodore Roosevelt and the poet James W. Foley, are also noted. A map of Medora is included. On the map, an arrow notes the location of a hearing.

Collection

Denver Public Library

Creation Date

Unknown

A group of conservationist organizations announce the plans for wilderness areas within Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the public hearings in connection with those plans. Included in the announcement are maps and descriptions of specific areas within the park, as conservationists hope to pay special attention to issues of park boundaries at the hearings.

Collection

Denver Public Library

Creation Date

1970-11-18